Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 8
March 28, 1957
NUMBER 46, PAGE 9-10a

Reading The Bulletins

Charles A. Holt - P. O. Box 493 - Florence, Alabama

News From Here And There:

Connie Adams, who is with the Glenwood Hills church in Decatur, Georgia, is planning to go to Norway in September. He is now trying to raise his "Travel Fund" and support, and is speaking at various places where there might be an interest in such work. Adams is a capable and faithful preacher and should do a good work in this far-away country where the Cause of Christ is unknown . . . . Gospel Anchor, edited by Gene Frost, 800 Miranda, Las Cruces, New Mexico, has now become a quarterly publication. It is a splendid paper. Price is $2 per year .. . . The debate between Jesse Brookshire and Floyd Stanley, dealing with church cooperation and the benevolent work of the church, is being published. The pre-publication price is $3. Order from Jesse Brookshire, Church of Christ, Ontario, California .. . . B. F. Haynie, Jr. is the preacher for the new Belvedere church in Jackson, Mississippi . . . Charles Boshart has moved to Canton, Mississippi, to labor with the church there . . . . Our sincere sympathy is expressed to the family of Hollis Parker, who recently passed away. He was the son of the Howard D. Parkers, of Roanoke, Virginia. Hollis lived in Carthage, Tennessee, where he has labored with the church for several years. He leaves his wife and two daughters. He suffered from an incurable malady for several months. May God bless the family . . . . Paul Keller has moved to Paragould, Arkansas, to work with the Second and Walnut Street church. Keller had been with the church in Senatobia, Mississippi, for several years . . . After several years of labor with the Rains Avenue church in Nashville, Tennessee, Farris J. Baird has moved to Aiken, South Carolina . . . Ira Douthitt has moved to Nashville to work with the Rains Avenue church . . . . In June Jesse R. Kelley is to move from Gruver, Texas, to work with the church in Blytheville, Arkansas . . . . George T. Jones is to move from Kilgore to San Antonio, Texas, where he will labor with the Highland Boulevard church . . . . Cecil Willis is soon to move to Kansas City to work with one of the churches. He has been with the Irvington church in Indianapolis for over four years.

A Decreasing Emphasis On "Thus Saith The Lord"

There has been a decreasing emphasis, in preaching and teaching generally, on "thus saith the Lord." "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God," is a cornerstone principle of all preaching and teaching. In preaching we hear more and more of human reasoning and logic and less and less of the word of God. There is a trend in preaching, teaching, and writing on matters dealing with right and wrong toward the use of more and more of human reasoning and logic and less and less of the word of God. As a result, the general thinking of the members of the church is guided more and more by the opinions of men, chiefly of preachers, and less and less by the word of God. Modernism, one of the gravest dangers confronting us, is no more than an extreme form of this disregard for, and denial of, the authority of the Scriptures.

When the pioneers preached on a subject, they used the Bible as their authority for being for, or against, and not neatly-contrived witticisms of human reasoning and citations of this and that outstanding preacher, editor, or educator who has "taken a stand." They quoted from the apostles of Christ and not from the distinguished men of the past or the present. So it seems to me that one of the dangers confronting the church is a decreasing emphasis in preaching and teaching on "thus saith the Lord."

— Athens Clay Pullias, Gospel Advocate, February 23, 1950.

Editor's Note: Yes, this appeared in the Advocate even though it does sound like a page out of the Guardian. Certainly this is a true and grave charge against many in the church today. Many in a desperate effort to justify their idols (human institutions and human schemes) have long since ceased trying to give a "thus saith the Lord" for such. Instead they have resorted to fields "of human reasoning and logic and less and less of the word of God." As Pullias rightly observes, "Modernism . . . . is no more than an extreme form of this disregard for, and denial of, the authority of the Scriptures." I can think of no place where there is more of a "Decreasing Emphasis on `Thus Saith the Lord'," than at David Lipscomb College! In advocating that elders have the authority to determine what is right and wrong for the church where they are elders; and in advocating that the general practice of the brotherhood determines what one should accept or reject, as was done at the last lectureship at D.L.C., Pullias stands self-condemned. With him and those who stand with him it is "Thus saith the elders" or "Thus is the general practice of the brotherhood!"

Reader, please recall the things printed in the bulletin last week concerning the "recreation" being sponsored by congregations in various places. Now can't you see that WE ARE DRIFTING? If not then you need to spend more time reading your Bible!! Most of you in this congregation do not read gospel papers which are written and printed by various brethren, hence, you do not realize what is taking place in the church in many places. Some read only one side of various problems in the church. A one-sided story does not give the reader an opportunity to arrive at a proper conclusion. Too few of the papers being printed have their pages open for discussion on BOTH SIDES of current problems. Among the weekly papers I know of only one that has such an editorial policy — that one is the GOSPEL GUARDIAN. The other two leading weekly publications — GOSPEL ADVOCATE and FIRM FOUNDATION — will not permit "both" sides of the issues to be printed. Thus, those of you who might happen to be reading one of these publications are getting only one side and conclusions which you might reach as a result of reading these papers could easily be (and are likely) biased ones. I speak from experience, for a few years ago I was reading just one side of various problems (but I didn't realize it at the time) until a good friend and brother asked me if I would read the other side. Being fair minded I subscribed to the Gospel Guardian and learned, much to my surprise, that I had been reading ONLY ONE SIDE of many different issues. Brother Yater Tant, editor of the Guardian, is to be commended for his editorial policy which will give space of anyone who wishes to write in favor of or against anything that appears in the Gospel Guardian. YOU would do well to subscribe to this paper. It costs only $8 per year. Send your name and address to Gospel Guardian, Box 980, Lufkin, Texas.

— Billy W. Moore, Pryor, Oklahoma

A city wide gathering of young people of the Dallas churches of Christ will be held Friday night, February 22nd, at the Oak Cliff church building, 10th and Van Buren. From 7:00 to 8:00 they will have dinner in the church basement. All young people are asked to take a salad, potato chips or fritos. Oak Cliff folks will furnish meats, drinks, etc. At 8:00 there will be a service in the auditorium with several young people's choruses and quartets, singing. Foy L. Smith, minister of the Walnut Hill church, will speak on an important theme. We hope all of our young people will attend.

— Bulletin Skillman Avenue

Dallas Editor's Note: There seems to be a "city wide gathering" of one kind or another, for one purpose or another going on in Dallas all the time.

The Tragedy Of Alcohol

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is derived thereby is not wise." (Proverbs 20:1.)

Alcoholism is now 165 times more prevalent than polio according to figures supplied by major national health authorities. The figures line up like this:

Cancer 740,000
Tuberculosis 400,000
Polio 29,270
Alcoholism 4,589,000

This means that there are six times as many alcoholics as there are cancer patients in the U. S.; that there are eleven times as many alcoholics as there are active cases of tuberculosis. It means that every American hit by polio last year 155 were the victims of alcoholism, Why not have a drive to eradicate alcoholism, and that which causes it . . . alcohol!

— Foster Ramsey, Via Riverside Reminder, Fort Worth